It was the perfect sector to join, because no one had any real idea what they were doing. They had ideas that might become businesses and worked as fast as possible to throw things against a wall to see what stuck.

It was a wild ride, because almost every company was laying down the tracks, trying to keep ahead of the locomotive they built and were shoveling coal into. In other words, they knew they needed to build fast, but it didn’t mean they knew what they were building or exactly where they were going.

Online ad companies came about because companies and individuals had started to build sites. These sites started to attract enough eyeballs to sell ad space against. The sites — and especially the ad companies — were unlike any that came before it.

Silicon Valley had a history of technology innovation, but most of the prior inventions focused on physical computing or engineering systems. Programming, too, wasn’t new, but tying hardware and software together to create a web experience was. Making it all work required many things, but for any in this burgeoning world of online media monetization, it meant stockpiling two types of operators — the programmer and the sales guy.

It’s hard to think of two more different roles in a company. They are so different that they are often segregated in the work environment. Want inter-office tension? Just put the two groups together. One likes quiet, the other makes noise.

In so many ways, they are kindred spirits. Both thrive in chaos. Both tend to have desks in complete disarray and work to the beat of their own drummer. The physical and cultural similarities end there. They are fundamentally different jobs, and the personality types that enter each are more often than not the same two that didn’t ever have a reason to associate earlier in life.

In the office, it’s not as though there is any natural enmity, it’s more apprehension. Sales people are notorious for their impatience and screwing with product people’s roadmaps. The sales guy needs to eat, so any tweaks that can help him sell, he’s going to try and get implemented the only way he knows how – direct action.

In many ways the tables have turned. Sales people can still make among the best livings, but in the digital world especially, the prized asset comes in the form of the tech talent. A decade ago, tech talent was needed, but they played a supporting role to the business leadership. They were functionaries. Not so today. Product and tech tend to go hand in hand.

Perhaps it isn’t surprising that some of the most valuable companies of the Internet age began at the hands (literally) of technologists not from the mind of a business operator. It’s a pattern that we have seen play out time and time again, even more so today where investors and, the ever increasing, in-profile incubators seek out smart product tech guys who have an idea and know enough to get it built themselves or with their partner.

Arguably the most fundamental paradigm shift that has occurred as a result of the Internet age has come from the unintended disruption of education and as a result roles. The world of technology is unlike any other. Doctors, lawyers, almost all professional services require years of formal training before they can strike out on their own. They generally don’t hit their prime until many in the tech world are looking to retire.

In the tech world, some of the best minds didn’t finish school while others never went to school. It’s a field full of self-taught people which in almost any other profession wouldn’t be possible. The new media world makes it possible, because it becomes the mental acuity of a classic profession with the craftsmanship of artisan efforts where a physical product says more than the education of the person who made it. Like fashion, a pedigree helps, but it counts for less than ever before. Building a viral app is better than any degree.

So where does that leave the oft neglected sales guy? In more demand than ever. The system has become so efficient at providing young, hungry technologists the chance to try their hand at building a product/business that there is a shortage of people who can turn their product into a money making reality.

Now more than ever we see posts for companies — from games to platforms –looking for their business cofounder/near-founder where the biggest requirement is strong business development skills. It’s *almost* cool to be great in sales. If you can build relationships, you now have the chance to take that ability and turn it into not just salary but equity.

The best validation of this comes from the fact that one of Google’s wealthiest employees happens to be their earliest and most senior sales executive. The trick, though, is offering more than just the ability to pick up the phone or even have a great rolodex.

Both are essential, but the sales 2.0 person has to be the voice of the business and founder. They need to not just make deals but do them in a way that is what the founders might do if they were an outward facing personality. It’s not easy, not initially lucrative, and not 9 to 5, but now especially some of the most rewarding opportunities exist for people that usually don’t get a lot of recognition in digital companies.

Cross-published at DM Confidential’s blog.

Personal Life Media is aimed at the oft-overlooked older generation. “People on the leading edge of culture, especially those in the 35-65 year old demographic are clearly underserved in podcast content today and millions of consumers are ripe for a deeply personal, authentic experience that podcasting and blogging easily deliver,” said Susan Bratton in a statement.

Bratton hopes the network will be able to reach those who are a little more sophisticated than their Xbox-playing MySpace-using children. “We are using podcasting technology to enable experts, authors, PhDs and innovators from anywhere in the world to bring their voices and inspiration directly to the issues of adults.”

Debut shows include programs on relationships, everyday ecology, sex, and business. The company plans to expand its content to include shows on parenting, mid-life issues, and nutrition. It is currently negotiating ad placement deals for its podcasts and blogs. One advertiser will be iFrogz, a company that produced iPod accessories.

Now advertisers in Mochila’s syndicated marketplace can self-select their exposure: choosing a particular article to appear on, a series of articles, a subject category, a particular newspaper or magazine brand, or a category of brands. They also have the ability to opt-out of content at any one of these levels.

The company hopes this plan will generate more revenue for publishers, more quality feature content for the consumer, and more relevant delivery of online ads.

The Mochila marketplace allows publishers to syndicate their own content to a variety of other venues, as well as buy a great range of high quality content for use in their own publication. Its charter media members include: Metro International, MediaNews Group, Freedom Communications, Liberty Group, Fast Company, Inc., Reports, and The Greenspun Media Group.

1. Afternoon Recess

Thirsty Bear
661 Howard St. (at Hawthorne St.)

When your boss isn’t looking, sneak out of the Moscone Center and hop across the street for a laid back afternoon of tasty microbrews and Spanish tapas. The Thirsty Bear serves up nine distinct beer flavors, including the signature Howard Street I.P.A., Kozlov Stout, and the Brown Bear Ale. Don’t forget a round of tapas, made with all authentic Spanish ingredients, including manchego cheese, jamon serrano, chorizo sausage, olive oil, and piquillo peppers.

2. Scenic Seafood

Scoma’s
Pier 47 on Al Scoma’s Way

Looking for the smell of the sea and the lush ocean side views of the San Francisco Bay? Walk or swim over to Scoma’s at the Fisherman’s Wharf, a city tradition since 1965. Here you can actually watch local fishermen haul in the fish and crabs that are prepared and served before your very eyes. For lunch, you can’t go wrong with Scoma’s world-famous Clam Chowder, but for a heartier fare try the cracked Dungeness crab.

3. It’s a Groove Thing

Ruby Skye
420 Mason St. (at Geary St.)

The market charts are folded away, the cranky old CEOs have gone home to their Marriot suites, and the city is calling your name. If you think your chic suit and expense account are enough to get you past the velvet rope, go check out Ruby Skye, the posh new entry in San Fran’s club scene. Enter the old home of the historic Stagecoach Theater to find a DJ spinning house and techno from the center stage, a dance floor flooded with oceanic swirling lights, and swarms of beautiful people. If you’re looking to escape the crowd, steal into the back smoking room, or drop $340 for a booth reservation.

4. Hangover Healing

Mixt Greens
120 Sansome St. (bet. Bush and Pine)

If your hangover has you seeing two Susan Brattons, skip the greasy lunch buffet and hit up Mixt Greens for a light, organic salad or sandwich with a homemade iced tea. The brand new “ecogourmet” lunch spot is housed in an airy green building—built entirely from recyclable materials. Choose from a wide offering of light meals created from locally grown produce and organic meats. We recommend the Marley—a salad with shrimp, jicama, and mango—and the Da Vinci—a salad with mixed greens, artichokes, and pine nuts.

5. Gadget Wonderland

Apple Flagship Store
1 Stockton St. (at Ellis and Market)

You left your iPod charger at home? No problem—Apple lives only a few blocks away from the convention center. This isn’t your typical shopping mall Apple store, either. Launched in 2004, the San Francisco Apple location—one of four flagship branches—is a mammoth warehouse of both Mac and Windows hardware and applications. The store’s customer service reps and tech experts are friendlier than your receptionist on a good day, and will help you with any Apple service or product you need while you’re in town. Come by on Wednesday for Business Day, which features a Small Business Workshop with consultants on-hand.

6. Science Fiction Hangout

Noc Noc
557 Haight St. (bet. Steiner and Fillmore)

Pack up the laptop, grab a couple of your nerdiest coworkers, and enter the surreal nightlife world of Noc Noc. Resembling a dark, fantastic cave out of Star Wars or a Tim Burton movie, Noc Noc is home to the strange array of trolls, ewoks, and goblins that inhabit the local scene. Once there, pick from a wide selection of beers and sit down on chairs that seem to grow like trees out of the wall, or on one of many pillows strewn about the floor. Get there early to avoid the inevitable crowds.

7. Closing Festivities

The Warfield presents the Yeah Yeah Yeahs
April 28-29, 8 PM
982 Market St. (bet. 5th and 6th)

By the time ad:tech is over, you’ll most likely be overwhelmed by the throngs of different advertising strategies circulating through your dizzy head. We here at ADOTAS sympathize with you, and want to prescribe the best medication on the market: rock and roll. Riding the electric buzz of their new album, “Show Your Bones,” and number one single “Gold Lion,” the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are going to absolutely tear down The Warfield and everyone in it this Friday and Saturday night.

Get your headbang on, crowdsurf, down a disgusting amount of Jagermeister—do what you have to do to rock out with Karen O and the rest of the band. After all, there’s only one ad:tech a year… Don’t you want to be the legend of all the office stories when you go home?

Before joining StubHub, Dre worked at eBay in the Tickets category, eGroups (Yahoo! Groups), and Kick.com. An entrepreneur at heart, Dre also co-founded Date My Friend, an event-based company focused on single’s networking. For our special ad:tech-themed Conversations, we spoke with the Dre on the present state of interactive, as well as her

ADOTAS: Tell me how you got involved with Stubhub, and what you guys do.

Dre: StubHub is an online ticket marketplace where anyone can buy or sell any ticket to any event. I joined StubHub in January of 2005 and it has been great to be a part of such a high growth company, with such smart and driven individuals, and a great business model. I got involved with StubHub after finishing business school and seeking a company where I could contribute in various capacities and help drive the company’s success.

A: What’s your day-to-day role there?

D: In 2005, I was in charge of creating new channels at StubHub, while testing several marketing opportunities to determine scalability. In addition to having played a key role in our customer marketing channel, I also lead our customer satisfaction initiatives. Being a part of a very fast paced, high growth company like StubHub is extremely rewarding. I have been able to contribute to several areas within Marketing and continue to learn each day I’m here.

A: What are some of the challenges/trends you’re seeing in the online/interactive space?

D: Consumers are over-saturated with content and advertising. We have to increase the space in our inbox just to manage all the emails we receive from companies selling their products and services. The largest challenge, yet most important goal is building trust with your customers and growing a lasting relationship to create “loyalists”. There are still too many companies not taking the time to get to know their customers. Sending broadcast emails are a way of the past. In an ideal world, we should all get what we want, when we want it, and have valuable content.

A: What is your overall opinion of ad:tech and how has it affected the interactive industry?

D: I have been involved in the interactive industry since 1997. Having attended many ad:tech conferences as well as other industry events, I have always been impressed with the level of content and scale of exhibitors at ad:Tech. It’s always been a great place for education and to get a snapshot of where the industry is at large. I often walk away with action items.

A: What will you be discussing at ad:tech?

D: StubHub revamped its email marketing program last year in August. In my panel discussion at ad:Tech, I will be reviewing the changes we made, what worked and didn’t work, the best practices we incorporate and most of all…the results. By making several changes as well as adding new programs, we were able to drive significant results in lead acquisition and overall conversion.

See Dre Madden on Thursday, April 27th during the Email Marketing: A Cinderella Story panel, 10:30-11:30 am.

This will be my fourth trip to the Bay Area for ad:tech, and this year’s changes will pose some new challenges for conference veterans. For one, you won’t be able to jump on an elevator to catch a quick nap in your hotel room. But at least you won’t (or shouldn’t) be totally “partied out” the first day of the conference since you won’t be coming off a weekend bender.

Over the years I’ve offered my advice (and some of yours) on how to survive these shows — they can be a goldmine for your business, but can also be brutal if you are ill-prepared. I’ve actually witnessed colleagues leave shows with hangovers, impending divorces, or even newly-found jailtime. I’ve also learned a few things along the way. One reader told me never to refer to his city as “San Fran” — it’s “San Francisco”. Thanks… I wasn’t trying to be disrespectful — just lazy.

Many of the reader-submitted suggestions can apply to any trade show or conference:

• Wear comfortable shoes — this ad:tech is supposed to have the largest exhibition floor to date, and again, it’s a hike to your hotel.

• Bring lots of business cards — these shows are all about networking. A cocktail napkin with your phone number and email address on it will probably not make it back with me on my flight back to Florida.

• Schedule lots of meetings ahead of time — sure, there are a lot of informative sessions to attend, but I’ve never been to one. If your company is going to shell out a few grand to send you to ad:tech, you’d better make the most of it.

While the days are packed with meetings and sessions, the evenings are chock-full of happy hours and parties. Last year, Mark Romanelli of Direct Response said, “Early in the night the networking opportunities tend to be good with the ad:tech parties… but for the parties that carry on into the night, the music gets too loud and some people start to forget what ‘CPA’ stands for. Basically if you are just looking to network, get there early.” Gee… we all though “CPA” stood for “Come Party @ ad:tech”….